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| Hate stuff, break stuff: An MMAmania.com interview exclusive with Forrest Griffin Posted: 29 Apr 2009 09:45 PM PDT
When fans talk about the overnight success of the UFC, most of the time the first name mentioned is that of Chuck Liddell. And while “The Iceman” is indeed responsible for taking pay-per-view buys into uncharted territory, it is his television counterpart that helped transform mixed martial arts into an acceptable form of mainstream entertainment. If Chuck Liddell was the manifesto, then Forrest Griffin was the revolution itself. Live on Spike TV, in front of an audience that no one was quite sure they would ever capture again, Griffin polarized the causal fan with a gritty performance opposite Stephan Bonnar in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) that may go down as the greatest mixed martial arts fight ever featured on live television. And to the victor belong the spoils. Griffin would eventually legitimize not only himself, but also the TUF farm system by capturing the light heavyweight title from Quinton Jackson at UFC 86. He may have subsequently surrendered that title to another TUF grad, Rashad Evans at UFC 92, but he will never surrender his legacy in the evolution of the UFC. Now, after spending most of the year sidelined with a broken hand he suffered back in January, Griffin is poised to return at UFC 101 on August 8, against mixed martial arts’ deadliest warrior: Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Griffin was called to duty to succeed where others have failed. His mission is not just to dethrone the Brazilian juggernaut, but to force him to engage, and prove himself worthy of the championship title. We know why, now find out how, in our exclusive interview with Forrest Griffin.
Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): You were all set to take on a tough opponent in Thiago Silva and he seemed like an ideal match-up for you coming off the hand injury. Why did you decide to fight Anderson Silva instead? Forrest Griffin: I didn't feel I was as mentally tough as I should have been preparing for the fight. I wanted to really test myself. You see a lot of guys fight Anderson and they just don't look like themselves. They don't look like they want to be there or look like they have any confidence. I want to at least come in and fight up to my ability. So this fight will either bring out the best in me … or I will have to go out and find a real job. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): It seemed like everything happened so fast. Can you tell us exactly how the UFC pulled off the ol’ Silva switch-a-roo? Forrest Griffin: Nope, I have no idea. They came to me and said, 'Hey Forrest; you want to fight a different Silva' and I said ‘Sure.’ We were doing a photo shoot for something, for what I’m not sure, and you-know-who came over and said, 'Hey I gotta talk to you' and I said 'What, I didn't do anything wrong.' This ain't rocket science, if they ask me to fight someone, I’ll fight someone. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Do you see this fight with Silva as a shortcut toward getting back into a title fight or is it just one high-profile fight at a time for you? Forrest Griffin: Yeah, I don't know man. I’m not really worried about all that. I’m just focused on dealing with this dude. I just want to show up prepared and actually fight the guy. I just don't think anyone has actually tried to fight him up to their ability. Irvin went in and charged him, Leben when in and charged him. He’s a southpaw counter-striker … it's not like I’m going to go jump his shit. If you rush into that guy you're rushing into a knockout. So I’m going to fight the guy, I’ll hit him, and not get too frustrated when I miss. Because he makes you miss and then he makes you pay for it. He’s made a lot of guys feel stupid. It's when guys get hit, and then they can't hit him back; they just look hopeless … like they almost want the fight to be over. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Anderson Silva is considered a lethal striker but can he really hit you any harder than Quinton Jackson and Rashad Evans already have? Forrest Griffin: (Laughing) You know, a lot of guys have hit me real hard. The thing about Silva is that he’s going to hit me a lot quicker. He’s got a great reach, he actually has the same reach I do and I am not going to be much bigger. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Well you're considered a pretty strapping young man. Are you saying your size is not really going to play an advantage for you this time? Forrest Griffin: I normally step into the Octagon at around 220. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't mind if Silva and I fought this fight at a catchweight of 215. I would come in at 225, which would be beautiful for me. When I’m fat, the first ten pounds are what can slow me down but the next ten pounds I really don't need to lose; it's just to make weight. I could actually function better with it. When I start my weight cut, I feel good, I feel faster but you only need to shed so much fat. Honestly, where the sport is heading, we could have a weight class every ten pounds. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Do you think that is where we're heading as the sport grows and we get more and more athletic guys competing? Forrest Griffin: Yeah I do, but I don't see them adding any new weight classes for at least five years. The adding of weight classes should parallel and keep pace with the continuing growth of the sport. With the heavyweight division there is not a need for creating a super heavyweight division yet. There might be six guys that would compete there. But if it weren't for the NFL and NBA we'd have ten more weight classes. If you're athletic enough and you're over 200 pounds, you're either playing college football or basketball. Talent goes where the money is. It's as simple as that. That's why I got into the sport. I was like, 'Hey I could do this.' Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): So are you saying you beat the talent to the punch in terms of you getting into MMA? Forrest Griffin: Hell yeah. In five years, I don't know that I’ll be able to compete at the level I do now. That's just a legitimate statement. The guys competing are just getting so good and they keep coming. All these freaking wrestlers are coming out of the woodwork. They’re great and it's really unfair you know. I can't wrestle; I haven’t wrestled my whole life. I don't remember what I was doing but I wasn't wrestling, that's for sure. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Anderson Silva decided to also call out Fedor Emelianenko in a recent interview. Do you have any intentions of calling out Fedor or Brock Lesnar for that matter? Forrest Griffin: He said he wants to fight Fedor? Well I’ll help ease him into that heavier weight class if that’s where he wants go. Like I said earlier, let's go ahead and make this fight at 215. That would suite me just fine. As far as Fedor goes, fighting in the UFC is a contractual thing. If you’re going to fight for the UFC, well you're going to fight for the UFC. They are the best show in town so if Fedor wants to come on over … Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Submission, T(KO), or a decision win. What's your best bet for scoring a victory in this fight? Forrest Griffin: I will come up with a game plan. I need to score some takedowns while avoiding any guillotine. Silva has got those long limbs. I go back to Silva being a southpaw. Also, his quickness and the unexpectedness of his style are on my mind. I have never fought a southpaw that I struck with before. I don't like the idea of fighting a southpaw, it's weird. And his clinch work, he is just so relaxed when doing it. Other than that I’m not too worried about the fight; it's only going to be 15 minutes so what's the worst that can happen? Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): How is your surgically repaired hand doing? Forrest Griffin: It's good, it’ll be ready to go. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): What are your thoughts on the Lyoto Machida-Rashad Evans title fight? Forrest Griffin: It could start out real slow since they both have a tendency to counter fight. So it could end up being a boring fight to some or it could end up being a very exciting fight. At this level, with the competition, you make one mistake, you get clipped, and your night’s over. It's unfortunate but it is what it is. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Hindsight is always 20-20. What could you have done differently in your fight with Rashad Evans to come away victorious, especially since you were winning the fight up until that point? Forrest Griffin: Obviously the body kick was not a good idea (laughing). With the body kick, I didn't get my feet back down and so I didn't get a punch in. And not getting punched in the face when you're off balance and looking up with your head wobbling around. And not get hit a bunch on the ground either. Also, you can't rest. With the round almost over, I thought I might chill for a second. I just can't chill with my opponent punching me in the face. It was what it was though. Obviously I can beat Rashad, so I look forward to a rematch with him; with Jackson too. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): Well speaking of Rampage, he was pretty vocal about fighting you again. After his win over Wanderlei, he said he was willing to wait on a title fight and rematch you first. Forrest Griffin: I've never even heard that before. As far as Jackson, I have never seen a guy so mad over having a bad night. It's not like I had the best night either. I am not sure if he feels the need to be mad at me over that but its whatever. Yeah, I would fight that guy again. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): I just got my hands on a copy of your new book, "Got Fight?" Did you enjoy the process of writing your book or was it a pain in the ass? Forrest Griffin: You really have a copy of it? Wow, so they turned that into a real book. I thought they were pulling the plug on it. I actually had a lot of fun getting the book done; it was awesome. All I had to do was call the guy up and scream about how much I hate stuff and I guess he recorded it and now it's a book. Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): My first UFC PPV was UFC 12, watching Randy Couture take it to a young Vitor Belfort — and he’s been one of my MMA idols every since. Is he as cool as I think he is? And what is it like training with him at Xtreme Couture? Forrest Griffin: That was the fist UFC I ever saw too. Actually it wasn't the first UFC I saw, but it was the one that made me think it was an awesome sport. I was like 'Oh my god, I want to be a part of this.' When I was in the police academy one of my instructors gave me that DVD. I watched it and said, 'Once they drop the tight shorts I am going to do that.' Randy really is that cool, he really is. That is why so many people have looked up to him and gravitated toward him. Randy Couture is the kind of guy that if you share a hotel room with him, and he’s got an early flight, instead of turning the light on he will use the light from his cell phone to try and pack his stuff so he doesn't wake you. That’s the real Randy Couture, isn't that awesome? Brian Oswald (MMAmania.com): It sure is. It's been great talking to you Forrest. I appreciate your candor. Forrest Griffin: I appreciate it and I hope I wasn't helpful at all. Brian Oswald is an associate editor for Inside Fights as well as a syndicated writer to Fox Sports. Look for future exclusive interviews from him on MMAmania.com. |
| Posted: 29 Apr 2009 08:26 PM PDT |
| The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9: Episode 5 recap and discussion Posted: 29 Apr 2009 07:00 PM PDT
Episode five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 gets underway with a brief recap of Nick Osipczak’s surprising knockout win over Mark Miller. Bisping reminds us that it was Team US who picked the fight and had it blow up in their face. A long van ride back for the stateside boys as they try to figure out why the opposing team is so cohesive and they are a Motley crew. Cameron Dollar declares his independence from the group and Damarques concedes that their team is anything but. Dollar then decides to prove how cool he is by telling some of the guys by the pool that he’s humped over 70 girls. When they react with a sense of apathy, he raises the stakes by admitting that one of the lucky 70 was his best friend’s bride-to-be. So much for “Bro’s before Ho’s.” Team US keeps with the tired mantra “I’m not here to make friends, I’m just here to win fights.” You know, because it’s always worked so well in the past. Fight selection and Team UK is in control picking Andre Winner to face Santino DeFranco. Bisping is confident that Winner won’t be outstruck or taken down. Hendo disagrees. Winner rolls around with Bisping to prep for the fight and the team erupts when he is able to secure a takedown on “The Count.” Bisping blames it on his own coaching that made Winner good enough to pull it off. Training session for the Brits and Winner likes to get paid to fight as well as feed his competitive spirit. DeFranco refreshes our memory about his TUF 2 tryout that resulted in brain surgery and the end of mixed martial arts. He defied the odds to come back and had a thrilling come-from-behind win in episode two.
Fight day is here and DeFranco tries to convince himself he’s going to win by screaming “I’m the champ!” ad nauseam. Winner finds the idea of losing to be kind of amusing. Lightweight elimination fight #1: Andre Winner (9-2-1) vs. Santino DeFranco (13-4) Round 1: Low kick by DeFranco. Body shot by Winner. DeFranco shoots and gets denied. An exchange of low kicks. Again. Sloppy shoot by DeFranco rejected. Winner with a punch-kick combo. Low kick by Winner. Returned by DeFranco. Nice body shot by Winner. DeFranco shoots and Winner flops on top and gets mount. DeFranco tries to do his best BJ Penn impersonation by working an Omplata. He can’t secure it and Winner breaks free and starts to unload bombs onto a fetal DeFranco. This continues with no defense and Mazz jumps in for the stoppage. Andre Winner defeats Santino DeFranco via TKO (strikes) After the fight, Hendo looks for some consoling words and finds none. DeFranco calls himself an idiot. Winner and Team UK celebrate like they just won two straight from a baffled Team US, probably because they did. Back at the house Team US starts to unravel and we even get a gratuitous Kriss-Kross wiggity-whack reference from Jason Dent. 10 out of 10 for that one. Hendo takes his team for a run and starts fantasy matchmaking - until Jason Pierce decides he can’t beat anybody on Team UK. They pile into the van and start bickering like a bunch of insecure sixth graders. As an American rooting for his homeland, it’s a sad sight to see. Hendo comes in for the save with a Rah-Rah speech that is delivered in the same monotone delivery he says everything else in. It doesn’t resonate but at least it shuts them up for a few minutes. The Brits attribute their bond to a complete lack of egos. They are shown having fun, getting along, basically all the things that Team US can’t seem to get a handle on. We get our second fight announcement of the episode and Hendo chooses Damarques Johnson to try and stop the bleeding by taking on Dean Amasinger. Bisping warns that this fight is hardly a lock for Team US. Dean is reminded to be weary of the triangle choke, which Johnson uses and Dean is susceptible to. Dean is all smiles during training and even hits a Hulkamaniac pose for his fans overseas. Johnson on the other hand seems content to just bounce around the cage by himself. He assures the viewers he’s not there to rape and pillage anyone and then prays for God to give him the strength to whoop some ass. Dean has his back shaved before the fight. Those Brits, they’re so polite. Bisping is inexplicably absent from the locker room as he gets ready and it puts a damper on Dean’s fighting spirit. Dean seems way too kind and gentle to be a fighter. Welterweight elimination fight #2: Damarques Johnson (13-6) vs. Dean Amasinger (4-1) Round 1: Hard low kick by Amasinger. Then another but Johnson catches it and Amasinger slips. They get back up and Amasinger shoots and gets him down but Johnson takes an arm with him. Amasinger escapes the kimura and takes mount. Unfortunately he also takes a walk down Triangle lane and gets tapped for his efforts. Damarques Johnson defeats Dean Amasinger vis submission (triangle choke) Following the fight, Team US figures Bisping was MIA because he knew his fighter would lose and that he was avoiding the inevitable. Amasinger has a meltdown in the locker room and even I started to get aggravated that Bisping was a no-show. Stay tuned next week as Bisping tries to atone for his absence, Team US grows further apart and we’re treated to another two-fight episode! See you in seven! |
| Demian Maia vs Nate Marquardt UFC 102 fight set for Aug. 29 Posted: 29 Apr 2009 05:38 PM PDT
Middleweight standouts, Nate Marquardt (28-8-2) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia (10-0), are set to collide at UFC 102 from The Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, on August 29, according to Maia's official site. Marquardt is coming off a big win over Wilson Gouveia (12-5) at UFC 95, finishing the bout in the third round via technical knockout with a thrilling combination that looked like it had been lifted from a video game. It was impressive to say the least. Before that he demolished Martin Kampmann, beating him at his own game (the stand up) and forcing the Dane to rethink his career at 185 pounds and make the drop to welterweight. Maia has been impressive in his own right as of late, too. He has remained undefeated throughout his professional mixed martial arts career, winning five straight bouts inside the Octagon and earning four “submission of the night” bonuses during that span. His list of victims includes submission victories over the likes of Chael Sonnen (21-10-1), Nate Quarry (11-3) and Jason McDonald (21-12), among others. It’s safe to say Marquardt will do best to avoid going to the ground if possible against Maia. With a win here both fighters would have a good case to argue for a title shot against 185-pound kingpin Anderson Silva (24-4). However, they may have to get in line and wait behind the winner of Dan Henderson (24-7) vs. Michal Bisping (18-1) — the two coaches from The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) are set to square off at UFC 100 on July 11. UFC 102 is expected to feature a main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture locking horns with Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in a dream match-up that most fans expected to see before Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir played spoiler roles in the opening round of the mini heavyweight tournament created in late 2008 to crown an undisputed division champion. Also slated for the main card is perennial light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine (14-5-1) who has been tapped to replace Forrest Griffin in a 205-pound slugfest against hard-hitting Brazilian import Thiago Silva (13-1). UFC 102 is beginning to shape up quite nicely … and we're still four months away. To check out the latest UFC 102 fight card and rumors click here. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Rashad Evans will bother Lyoto Machida on May 23 Posted: 29 Apr 2009 12:06 PM PDT
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans talks to GracieMag.com about the chess match against challenger Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 when the two put their undefeated records on the line from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. Will “Sugar” somehow find a way to solve the enigma that is Lyoto Machida? Or will “The Dragon” — who is currently the favorite among sportsbooks — flambe the hard-hitting TUF grad? We’ll know in less than a month… |
| M-1 Global: Team USA shuts out Team Korea while Fedor Emelianenko overpowers Shinya Aoki Posted: 29 Apr 2009 11:03 AM PDT
Tokyo, Japan — After going winless in last year, Team USA West is now just one win away from clinching a post-season berth in the 2009 “M-1 Challenge Presented by Affliction.” The Colin Oyama-coached team took sole possession of first place following Wednesday night’s 5-0 shutout over South Korea during M-1 Challenge’s “Third Edition,” which emanated from Differ Ariake. Lightweight David Jansen improved to 10-0 after utilizing his outstanding wrestling ability to grind out a unanimous decision victory over Nam Yui Chul (8-2), an impressive prospect who had been 8-1 coming into the fight. The win marked Jansen’s second consecutive M-1 Challenge victory following his unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Flavio Alvaro during the ‘09 opener on Feb. 21, 2009. In a field of 16 lightweight competitors involved with this year’s M-1 Challenge, Jansen is well on his way towards establishing himself as the competition’s top 155 pound fighter. Jansen’s fight vs. Chul marked his first time competing in Japan, however, Jansen expressed his desire to return and has issued a public challenge to DEEP lightweight champion Katsunori Kikuno. USA West then moved out to a 2-0 lead following Fabio Negao’s (9-4) majority decision victory over the talented Myung Ho Bae (7-4). The fight was Negao’s first bout since a unanimous decision loss to Matt Lindland at Affliction’s “Banned” event last July.
Next it was time for the middleweights, with Giva “The Arm Collector” Santana (12-1) clinching the team victory for USA West following a armbar submission win over Min Suk Heo (4-8) at 4:05 of round 1. In an incredible statistic, Santana now has 11 career wins via tapout with all of them having come via armbar. Despite having clinched the team win, Team USA still needed to rack up additional individual victories due to the fact that it competes in a deep Group B division that includes South Korea, Brazil, and the defending M-1 Challenge champions Imperial Team. All eyes were on Jae Young Kim (12-7) in his return to the M-1 Challenge following his stunning upset over Imperial’s Mikhail Zayats during the Feb. opener courtesy of a head kick. However, former IFL veteran and submission wrestling champion Raphael Davis (6-1) continued his evolution as a striker following a second round TKO over Kim. Last for Team USA West was heavyweight Shane Del Rosario, who entered the ring wearing his WBC Muay Thai championship belt. The blue chip prospect also entered the contest with a perfect 5-0 record at stake but Del Rosario improved to 6-0 following a first round knockout over Doo Hee Lee (11-7). The 5-0 shutout improved Team USA West’s record to 2-0 with a combined individual record of 8-2. The team can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Team Imperial in its next matchup, with a date between the two juggernauts yet to be determined. In addition to Team USA West’s win over South Korea, the debuting Team England could possibly be the team to beat in Group A following its victory over host country Japan during the night’s main team challenge. The confident Ian “M-16″ Butlin (6-8) ruffled several feathers during a Tuesday press conference in which the anointed England team leader informed the Japanese media that he and his teammates would shut out the Japanese by a 5-0 score. Despite the bold proclamation, Butlin wasn’t too far off the mark, as England dominated Japan by a 4-1 score. In a twist of irony, it was Butlin’s first round loss to Luiz Andrada (9-6-3) that prevented the team from recording the shutout. After promising a knockout win all week, Butlin was unable to implement his game plan as Andrada elected not to engage him in the standup and instead tapped him an armbar at 3:20 of round 1. England then stole Japan’s momentum after Simon “The Executioner” Phillips (7-2) displayed his professional boxing skills and put the entire M-1 welterweight division on notice following his crushing 20 second knockout over DEEP and Pancrase veteran Hidehiko Hasegawa (16-12-5). Japan then appeared to be well on its way to regaining the lead with Yusuke Masuda forcing Matt Thorpe to fight on his heels for virtually the entire first round. Despite losing the first frame, Thorpe displayed one of the basic principles of jiu-jitsu as a self defense technique by overcoming a more aggressive Masuda with a rear naked choke at 1:30 of round 2. Following his teammate’s lead, Tom Blackledge (8-6) also used a rear naked choke to clinch a team victory for England after submitting Tatsuya Mizuno (5-5). However, Blackledge differentiated his win from Thorpe’s by showing shades of Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg and utilizing a standing choke en route to victory. In addition to having his teammates support him at ringside, Blackledge was also cornered by former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson, a well-known figure in Japan thanks to his successful tenure in PRIDE, returned to the country in order to support Blackledge, his good friend and training partner at the Wolfslair Academy in London. Looking to fortify its standing as the early leader of Group A, British heavyweight Rob “Godzilla” Broughton (9-4-1) displayed excellent ground skills for a big man during his unanimous decision victory over Yusuke Kawaguchi. For Broughton, the win over Kawaguchi marked yet another notch on his belt when it comes to defeating rising heavyweight prospects. In addition to holding a win over British up-and-comer Martin Thompson, Broughton now can boast that he was the first man to inflict a loss onto Kawaguchi’s record, who previously had been 8-0. While Team England’s next fight has yet to be finalized, officials with M-1 Global and Cage Warriors are currently working towards bringing a 2009 M-1 Challenge event to England. The 19-bout M-1 Challenge Japan event also featured a superfight between Karl “Psycho” Amoussou and IFL veteran Kazuhiro Hamanaka, an M-1 Challenge Group A team matchup between France vs. Spain, and a special sparring exhibition between WAMMA heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko and WAMMA lightweight champion Shinya Aoki. While Amoussou’s countrymen suffered a 3-2 defeat to Spain, he lifted his former teammates’ spirits with a brilliant flying knee knockout victory over Hamanaka just 23 seconds into their fight with the capacity crowd rising to their feet. The Japanese crowd displayed even more emotion during Fedor and Aoki’s public sparring session, which was advertised locally as a “special super exhibition.” With no scoring in effect, the encounter between the two undisputed world champions resembled a training session that you might see inside of a fight gym. The only difference was that nearly 1,000 spectators were on hand to watch the two square off while donning Gis. Fedor utilized his strength advantage to send Aoki soaring with several Sambo throws. At one point, Aoki played to the crowd and removed his Gi in jest and attempted a flying armbar on Fedor. With both fighters pressing each other well less than 100 percent, the two smiled for much of the session and embraced after the final bell had sounded. The video of the session will air free of charge on a video-on-demand basis starting on Monday, May 4 at www.M-1Global.com and www.Mixfight.ru. Below are complete results from Wednesday’s “M-1 Challenge” event. |
| UFC Quick Quote: Houston Alexander feels pressure to win for himself, not keep his job, at UFC 98 Posted: 29 Apr 2009 07:54 AM PDT
– Light heavyweight Houston Alexander talks to MMA Fanhouse about nerves, job security, single parenthood and more as he prepares to take on Andre Gusmao at UFC 98: “Evans vs. Machida” from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. The "Nebraskan Assassin" has suffered three straight defeats inside the Octagon since bursting onto the scene with big back-to-back knockouts over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara back in 2007. UFC President Dana White appears to be giving the charismatic father of six at least once more chance to prove he belongs with the top mixed martial arts promotion in the world. Can he can make the most out of it or is he better suited for the DJ booth? |
| UFC 102: Keith Jardine to replace Forrest Griffin against Thiago Silva on August 29 Posted: 29 Apr 2009 06:50 AM PDT
Perennial light heavyweight contender Keith Jardine (14-5-1) has been tapped to replace Forrest Griffin in a 205-pound slugfest against hard-hitting Brazilian import Thiago Silva (13-1) at UFC 102 from The Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, on August 29, MMAmania.com has learned. Griffin and Silva were originally set to hook ‘em up at UFC 101 in Philadelphia on August 8 — until the bat phone rang in Joe Silva’s office and demanded that Anderson Silva redeem himself for consecutive stand-and-bland performances at UFC 90 and 97. Thiago was temporarily left without a date for the prom, but the UFC made good on their swap by pitting him against the “Dean of Mean,” as well as a few extra weeks to prepare for his new foe. Despite dropping a close unanimous decision to former light heavyweight champ Quinton Jackson at UFC 96, the Greg Jackson-disciple has done his share to be atop the 205-pound ladder, putting together a solid record of (6-4) during his time in the Octagon. His resume is highlighted with wins over some of the top names in the sport such as Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, Brandon Vera and others. His next appearance at UFC 102 will continue his (mis?)fortune of drawing dangerous opponents. Silva has made a habit of demolishing his challengers. Before getting stopped at UFC 94 "St. Pierre vs. Penn 2″ by uber-enigma Lyoto Machida on January 31, Silva had finished 12 of his 13 fights, including 10 (T)KO's. Scary stuff. Silva brings the fierce Chute Boxe aggression into his fights (even though he is now no longer with the camp). He has an explosive mix of punches and kicks, which can often leave him open to counter strikes. However, Silva has proven that he can take punishment and dish out more … just ask Tomasz Drwal, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. UFC 102 is expected to feature a main event between Randy "The Natural" Couture as he locks horns with Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira in a dream match-up that most fans expected to see at UFC 98 on May 23 before Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir played spoiler roles in the opening round of the mini heavyweight tournament created in late 2008 to crown an undisputed division champion. Jardine, Silva, Couture and Nogueira. UFC 102 is beginning to shape up quite nicely — and we're still four months away. For more on UFC 102 click here. |
| Marital problems force Kim Couture to withdraw from May 15 Strikeforce event (Updated) Posted: 29 Apr 2009 06:48 AM PDT
Kim Couture (1-1) — the wife of former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion Randy Couture — has withdrawn from her fight against Meisha Tate (5-1) during the inaugural edition of the SHO MMA: "Strikeforce Challenger Series" at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on May 15. Tate recently posted an update to her MySpace page that cites marital problems as the reason for Couture’s withdrawal. Here’s a snip:
Couture was making her second appearance under the Strikeforce banner. The 33-year-old Las Vegas resident recently won for the first time in her professional career, scoring a first round technical knockout stoppage over Lina Kvokov at Strikeforce: "Destruction" in November 2008. She dropped her pro debut in a gritty, hard fought unanimous decision loss to Kim Rose at a Banner Promotions event last June — a fight in which she suffered a severely broken jaw during the first minute and continued to fight on for the full nine minutes. While nothing has been made official, there has been some talk behind the scenes that Mrs. Couture’s involvement in Randy’s business affairs may have isolated him from his peers — and that “The Natural” may have drawn a line in the sand regarding her role in his personal and professional life. ***UPDATE: Tate has begun damage control via a post on The Underground following the heat she took for her MySpace post and “forgetting” that the Coutures were famous. See below.
Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more information as it becomes available. |
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